The Effectiveness of Real-Time Feedback with an Audible Pulse: A Preliminary Study in Renal Doppler Ultrasonography.

The effectiveness of real-time feedback using an audible pulse in renal Doppler ultrasonography was evaluated.This study was approved by the institutional review board of our hospital. Written informed consent was provided by all volunteers at enrollment. The 26 healthy volunteers enrolled in this study underwent Doppler ultrasound of both kidneys using audible and inaudible pulses in randomized order and at 1-week intervals. Doppler waveforms were obtained at the interlobar or arcuate arteries using a 2-mm Doppler gate. Each session was considered complete when reproducible waveforms were obtained for 5 s in three predefined regions of the kidney. The scan times needed to obtain waveforms of the right and left kidneys were recorded separately. Measurements were compared using a paired t-test and a two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test.The total recorded Doppler sonography scan time for each kidney ranged from 33 to 146 s. The mean scan time was 56.83 s (right, 58.19 s; left, 55.46 s) in the audible session and 72.58 s (right, 72.08 s; left, 73.08 s) in the inaudible session. The scan times were significantly shorter in the audible than inaudible session (p<0.001), whereas the difference in the scan times between the right and left kidneys was not significant. The order of the sessions had no effect on the total scan time.Real-time feedback using an audible pulse may encourage patient cooperation during breath-holding and can shorten the time needed to perform Doppler ultrasonography

Scan time of audible and inaudible session.

<p>Box-and-whisker plots show scan time of the audible and inaudible sessions of all 52 kidneys, the time needed to obtain reproducible waveforms is significantly shorter during the audible than the inaudible sessions (p<0.001).</p

Scan time of right and left kidney.

<p>Box-and-whisker plots show Doppler sonographic scan time of right and left kidney during each session. There are no significant differences in the scan times between the right and left kidneys during the audible (A) and inaudible sessions (B).</p

Henoch-Schonlein purpura: ultrasonography of scrotal and penile involvement

Testicular or scrotal involvement has been reported in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), but there are very few reports on penile involvement. We report the initial and follow-up ultrasonographic findings of scrotal and penile involvement of HSP in a 5-year-old boy. On ultrasonography, scrotal soft tissue thickening and epididymal swelling with increased vascularity were noted, and on the penis, a focal mass-like lesion appeared on the dorsal surface of the distal penis, having a hypoechoic mass-like appearance without visible vascular flow on a Doppler study. After 2 days of treatment, follow-up ultrasonography showed normal scrotum and penis with a resolved soft tissue mass-like lesion. Therefore, we think that HSP ultrasonographic findings involving the scrotum and penis might help to diagnose scrotal and penile involvement in a case of HSP and to avoid unnecessary medication and/or surgical procedures